OLD FASHIONED BARLEY DRINK/BARLEY DRINK SWEETENED BY CANDIED WINTER MELON

My place is having its great sunny days... And the humid around us is high... So I'm always looking for some chilled drinks and fruits which keeps me energizing... And I wish to include in any new drink to my diet and my Chinese friends keeps drinking barley water often. I have heard of Barley water before, when my sister was pregnant my aunt used to give her this drink to keep her body cool and to reduce the puffiness of legs...

But that drink was plain it had no flavor or taste so never thought of trying out a brink with barley. When I asked them, How you sip in the flavorless barley drink, then she said this recipe of old fashioned barley drink...And they used to prepare in liters store and sip in often…Stared to browse to know more about this drink, then came to know that this is a perfect coolant and healthy one... The original recipe called for pandan leaves instead of bay leaf... I have used pandan leaves for cooking biryani... But want to substitute it with an easy ingredient so found bay leaf will work out... This cannot compensate exactly for pandan leaves, but the flavor and taste adds an extra zing to the drink... So believe me this will workout... Some discard the winter melon... But I love candid winter Melon chunks... So I have added them to give an extra bit in each sip.

Ingredients:

Barley pearls - 3 tbs

Water - 3&1/2 cup

Candied winter melon (Sakkarai neer poosanikai) - 5 pieces

Bay leaf - 2

Salt - pinch

Method:

Take a strainer add in barley pearls wash it till the water comes clear,then add in barley and 3&1/2 cups of water and allow it to boil when you see in bubbles add in the bay leaf and allow to boil

When barley pearls are half cooked take out the bay leaf and set a side.

Then add in candied winter melon and allow to boil till the winter melon and barley pearls are fully cooked,then strain the liquid discard the barley and keep the winter melon.

Allow the winter melon to cool down and chop them finely and set a side.

Take the serving glass add in the chopped winter melon and pour in the strained liquid and serve chill.

Serve chill the perfect coolant for a hot summer to keep you refreshing!

Notes:

I like my drinks to have mild sweetness so the candied winter melon had enough coated with sugar to add in taste to the drink.If you have sweet tooth then add in 1/2 tbs of rock sugar(kalkandu).

If you aware and used to pandan leaves replace bay leaf with 1 full pandan leaf,when you add in just tie a knot and add in.

Make sure that barley is fully cooked so it adds in more flavor to the drink.

Keep Smiling!:)

Revathi